iPod and iPhone Shopping Guide: Which One Should You Buy?

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson once said "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." We're down into the final, weirdest hours of Christmas shopping--Christmas Eve--and if you're still making a mad dash to the Apple Store, now's the time to turn pro. Still have someone on your list who's looking for an iPhone or an iPod? Here's our breakdown of what you should be looking for.

iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS?

The iPhone 4 is the current state-of-the-art when it comes to Apple phones. You get the front-facing camera and a better rear-facing camera, the amazing high-res Retina Display, improved performance, a gorgeous sleek design, glass front and back, fast processor, and much more storage capacity--16GB for $199 and 32GB for $299 (both attached to two-year AT&T contracts). Though it got off to a rocky start, with widely-reported deficiencies blamed on its antenna design, the iPhone 4 has proven itself to be Apple's best-selling and fastest-selling iPhone. For every tech pundit that's groused about issues with their iPhone, behind them are thousands of very happy customers who have no issues whatsoever.

With everything that's been written about the iPhone 4 over the past few months, it's easy to forget that the iPhone 3GS is still available. In fact, if you're on a budget, the iPhone 3GS is certainly worth considering--it'll set you back a scant $99 with a two-year contract through AT&T. That 8GB model lacks all of the bells and whistles that make the iPhone 4 so great, but it's an inexpensive way to get an iPhone--and many, many app makers, including most game makers, use the iPhone 3GS as their target platform. What's more, the iPhone 3GS runs iOS 4--so you get the up-to-date features of Apple's latest iOS, though the 3GS does run things slower than the iPhone 4 does.

The iPod: Four different flavors

At $49, the diminutive iPod shuffle is easy to overlook, but it's Apple's most portable iPod. This current-generation screenless iPod shuffle comes in five colors to suit different tastes and features a design that actually harkens back two generations. That's for the best - the previous shuffle, despite an even smaller design, lacked a basic button interface. This one returns the unobtrusive square, clip-on design that makes it simple to attach to a jacket or a shirt pocket and take with you on a jog, to the store or on your morning commute.

The next least-expensive iPod is the venerable nano, now looking more like an iPod shuffle that's grown a face. The new $149 iPod nano is the first nano to feature a touch interface similar to the currently most popular iPod model--the touch. It doesn't run iOS--you can't install apps on it--but the iPod nano looks instantly familiar to anyone who's ever played with an iPhone or iPod touch. The iPod nano also features an FM radio - a nice homage to 20th century tech that still comes in handy from time to time when you get bored of your own library.

The iPod nano is your best choice if you're thinking of the iPod as a workout accessory. It does double-duty as a pedometer, so you can use it on your workouts. If you're really serious about working out to the beat, the device supports the hugely popular Nike + iPod Sport Kit, which includes a separate sensor you insert into your Nike sneaker. You can use that, paired to the software on the nano and a Web site, to accurately track the miles you put down walking, running or even working out on a compatible cardio machine.

One thing that's missing from this generation of iPod nano is a video camera--that was a popular attraction to the previous model. If that's on your must-have list, then keep reading.

iPod touch goes Retinal

The most popular iPod in Apple's product line is the iPod touch, and it's little wonder. In its latest incarnation, the iPod touch borrows the best of what the iPhone has to offer like its its 960 x 640 pixel resolution retina display, super-thin design (barely more than a quarter-inch thick), and super-powerful A4 processor under the hood. Long battery life, too--up to 40 hours of audio, or seven hours of video.

The iPod touch is now the only iPod model to feature a camera. In fact, the iPod touch has two cameras--a rear-facing unit that lets you record HD video, so you can take movies of friends and family or anything else that interests you, and a front-facing camera that lets you do something else you could only do on the iPhone up to now--FaceTime, Apple's video conferencing system for iOS.

The iPod touch comes in three different storage capacities--8GB, 32GB and 64GB, for $229, $299 and $399 respectively. So let your budget guide your decision on which model is best for you.

iPod classic: for the digital pack rat

The iPod that started it all--the click wheel-based iPod classic--is still available, though it gets little notice these days. With its 2.5-inch screen and a design that harkens back nine years to the introduction of the very first mechanical scroll wheel iPod, the iPod classic is certainly an anachronism in the flashy, cutting-edge iPod line. But at $249 for 160GB of storage, it's hard to beat for its massive capacity. It's available in either black or silver.

And while it's a "classic" design, that's not to say that iPod classic is without its charms--it can still play movies and videos, displays photos, and can even output video content to a TV using an optional cable.

The iPod classic can even play games--there are some games made specifically for the iPod classic which are available through the iTunes Store (not the App Store).

So if you're buying an iPod for the music fan who absolutely has to bring their gargantuan library or Justin Bieber remixes wherever they go, the iPod classic definitely bears further consideration.

I only had my 3GS 16G since July of 2010, and since all the upgrades and all the apps I have it does run slow and sluggish. and now what it does. the screen flashes like as if the hard drive is gonna quit. Just like my emac did before I got my snow leopard in Sept. So I think this Iphone is dieing too. After the new year I am taking it to the apple store for repairs. Gone for the wind. 3GS 's can't be stuffed. I love to stuff my phones with apps. I use them all of them. By the way most of the diabetic apps in itunes are useless. and they don't work. I know because I used them all.